Staying on Course in Challenging Times

Lindlar, June 1, 2026. The shareholders' meeting of the Lindlar-based family-owned company Schmidt + Clemens (S+C) took place last Friday. As is tradition, the stainless steel specialist simultaneously presented its business results for the previous financial year.

The 2025 financial year was marked by numerous global challenges. Ongoing wars and continuing conflicts in the Middle East created uncertainty across international markets. In addition, increasing geopolitical tensions and a further tightening of U.S. tariff and trade policies negatively affected global trade flows and once again put pressure on international supply chains. Nevertheless, the year was initially characterized by an overall high level of capacity utilization across the Group’s international locations.

In 2025, the S+C Group generated sales revenue of approximately EUR 366 million, representing a decrease of around 22.4 percent compared to the previous year. Total assets declined slightly from approximately EUR 335 million to EUR 331 million. The equity ratio remains solid at 57.5 percent. Despite the challenging economic and political environment, the Group achieved a satisfactory financial result.

At the same time, the management emphasized that the situation facing German industry remains extremely challenging. “The industrial policy turnaround that has been called for over many years has still not materialized. In particular, developments in the energy market continue to present major challenges for energy-intensive companies such as S+C,” said Managing Partner Jan Schmidt-Krayer. Rising energy surcharges and grid fees have further increased the burden and contributed to an increasingly difficult business environment at the company’s headquarters in Lindlar. At the same time, foreign competitors continue to benefit from more favorable structural conditions.

“We urgently need internationally competitive energy prices, less bureaucracy, and reliable political framework conditions to ensure that industrial value creation and jobs can be secured in Germany over the long term,” Schmidt-Krayer emphasized.

As expected, the order backlog declined throughout 2025 compared to the record level of the previous year. Production capacities were adjusted accordingly. As part of extensive restructuring measures at the Lindlar site, organizational streamlining and efficiency improvements were implemented. This also included the reduction of approximately 100 jobs at the company’s headquarters—a decision that was particularly difficult for the company to make.

The measures were driven, among other factors, by the optimization of production processes, the discontinuation of the continuous shift model, and further significant automation initiatives. According to management, these steps are necessary to safeguard the company’s long-term competitiveness.

Providing a reliable forecast for the 2026 financial year remains difficult due to ongoing economic uncertainties. At present, the company expects that certain areas may continue to experience underutilization during the current year. Developments are being monitored continuously to enable the swift implementation of additional measures if required.

Going forward, S+C will further expand its activities in the security and defense industry, thereby fulfilling its responsibility as a key system supplier.

“Passion, innovation, and tradition—these three words accurately describe what Schmidt + Clemens stands for. With a great passion for stainless steel, our employees make a decisive contribution every day to inspiring customers around the world with innovative solutions,” said Dominic Otte, Managing Director Production & Engineering. The company therefore extends its special thanks to all employees worldwide for their loyalty, commitment, and dedication to Schmidt + Clemens.

The Advisory Board also acknowledged the management’s forward-looking and dedicated actions, as well as the trusting cooperation with customers, shareholders, and employees worldwide. International political developments and their impact on global markets will continue to be closely monitored.